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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did Nicknames Come From, What Do They Mean, and What Are They Used For?

Where Did Nicknames Come From, What Do They Mean, and What Are They Used For?

June 25, 2020 by Karen Hill

Nicknames are usually pet names of endearment or affection and are derived from a distinct characteristic of or the appearance of the subject.

The source is the Old English word eke, which means “as well as” or “in addition to.”

The linguistic transition to nick, meaning “devilish,” came later.

To a stranger a nickname signaled the kind of person they were dealing with by exaggerating either the person’s good or bad characteristics.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Did the Tradition of a Coat of Arms Originate and Does Every Family Have a Coat of Arms?
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